Stuffed Bell Peppers

This meat mixture could also be used to stuff other vegetables - like hollowed out zucchini (thanks Patty!) if you don't do bell peppers.

Stuffed Bell Peppers - makes 4

1 pound ground meat (I use chicken or turkey)
1 cup cooked quinoa (I cook it in broth)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)
about a 1/2 cup cut up fresh basil
about a tablespoon dried oregano
1 large shallot - thinly sliced or chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
4 bell peppers
salt
pepper
olive oil

1.  Cut tops off of peppers and clean out.  Dice up the tops, minus the stems.

2.  Heat olive oil and saute shallots, garlic, and diced peppers until the shallots and garlic are golden.

3.  Mix together all ingredients, season with salt and pepper, and stuff the peppers.

4.  Bake in a baking dish at 375 degrees for 50 minutes, or until meat is well cooked.

Coq Au Vin Blanc

This is not as much work as I always thought Coq Au Vin would be - mostly prep and then you sit back while it cooks!  In the photo, I'm serving it with broccoli and lemon roasted golden beets.

Coq Au Vin Blanc
4 servings

1 chicken, about 4 pounds
1 tsp. salt - use about 1/2 this if using an Empire chicken (they're cleaned in salt water)
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
2 T olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 oz. dried morels, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and then thinly sliced
1T arrowroot starch
1T red pepper sauce
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 cup chicken broth
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 tsp. dried
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup coconut milk
Cooked rice

Quarter the chicken, wash and dry it and season with the salt and pepper.  In a large Dutch oven type pan (I use an enameled cast iron one), heat the olive oil and brown the chicken pieces on all sides - remove from the pan to a plate.  In the same pan, saute shallots and garlic - you may need a little more oil - until golden.  Add the mushroom slices and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the arrowroot and red pepper paste and cook, stirring, for a minute.  Add in the wine and broth.  Add the thyme, bay leaves, and chicken.  Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and cook in a 350F degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken is very tender.  Remove pot from oven and remove the chicken to a covered dish that will keep it warm.

With the pot on medium-high, add the coconut milk and cook until the sauce has thickened - about 10 to 15 minutes.  Return chicken to the pot and heat through.  Remove thyme stalks and bay leaves.

Put a chicken serving on top of a serving of rice and spoon sauce over the top.

This freezes real well - freeze the chicken separately from leftover sauce and make fresh rice when you're ready to eat it.

Chicken Pot Pie

This doesn't have the traditional pot pie crust (still working on a pie crust that is worth it), but it's really good!  And a good way to use leftover chicken and vegetables. 

Chicken Pot Pie - Makes 2 6-inch square individual serving pans (from Ikea)
2 cups of vegetables - if they're not already cooked, cook until just starting to become soft
  I used kohlrabi and green beans for this batch
1 cup homemade chicken broth
1/2 cup diced chicken (or any meat)
1/2 cup chopped fennel (stems work fine)
1/2 cup safe white wine
1 shallot, diced
3 T olive oil + about 1 T more
1 - 2 T arrowroot starch
1 T fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf

Topping:
1 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup Spectrum palm shortening
1T lemon juice + water to equal 1/2 cup

1.  Saute fennel and shallots in the 3T olive oil until browned.  Add broth, wine, thyme, and bay leaf.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove bay leaf.
2.  Whisk in the arrowroot starch - 1T if you like a slightly thickened gravy, 2T if you like a thicker gravy - and remove from heat.
3.  Divide vegetables and chicken between two individual serving pans.  Pour half of gravy mixture over each pan.
4.  Mix up topping (work in shortening with fingers or a pastry blender) and divide between pans.  I like to put it on as little lumps (more like a cobbler), but if you want a more traditional crust look, smooth it out until it covers the whole top.  Sprinkle top with olive oil.
5.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until tops are golden.

Grilled Chicken Wings

Oh dear .... I know a few of you have been waiting for this recipe to go up.  The problem is, we eat them up before I can get a photo taken!  It happened again last night.  I had every intention of getting a picture and remembered after they were gone.  So, I'm putting the recipe up without a photo and will (hopefully!) add it next time I make them.

Grilled Chicken Wings - serves 3 - 4
3 - 4 pounds chicken wings
1 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 T dried thyme
2 or 3 cloves garlic, grated
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper

1.  Wash and dry wings.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes (until they're just starting to get golden).

2.  While the wings are cooking, mix up the rest of the ingredients.

3.  Add the hot wings to the marinade and stir to cover.  Let sit for about 15 minutes, stirring several times.

4.  Grill over hot coals until crispy, basting with the extra marinade often.

If you have any left overs, these freeze really well!

Faux Pho

I  love pho - the vietnamese noodle soups.  Chicken is my favorite - comforting like chicken soup, but so much more interesting!  Pho's out these days for lots of allergy reasons, but I came up with a "pho-like" soup that we like just as well.

Allergy Friendly Pho - serves 2

1 large chicken breast or equivalent in turkey breast
2 Tablespoons plus 1 Tablespoon olive oil
2" x 1" piece of peeled ginger
2 shallots, peeled and diced
sea salt
white pepper
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups homemade chicken broth, hot
4 oz. rice pad thai noodles, cooked, drained, and rinsed
2 heads baby bok choy, chopped, boiled for 2 minutes, and drained
1/4 cup chopped basil
2 T chopped mint leaves

Heat broth while making the rest of the soup.

Cut chicken breast in thin slices.  Heat olive oil in a medium sized pan.  Add chicken and cook until done.  Salt and pepper to taste. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.

Add additional tablespoon of oil to the pan.  Cook shallots until translucent.  Grate ginger into pan and cook for a minute.  Add lemon juice, hot broth, and bok choy.

To assemble soup, put 1/2 the noodles in each bowl.  Add the chicken.  Divide the broth mixture between the bowls.  Top each bowl with half the basil and mint.

"Satay" Chicken

Not really satay chicken since peanut butter, soy sauce, and chilies are out, but it's along those lines and very good!

"Satay" Chicken

5 or 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Marinade:
1/2 cup white wine (see what I eat for lower histamine choices)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2T sunflower seed butter
1 T olive oil
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp. ground tumeric
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 shallot, grated
1 piece of ginger (about 2" by 1"), grated

Mix marinade.  Wash and dry chicken, add to marinade, and put in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.  Grill on the barbecue or broil in the oven.

To make kebobs, use chicken breasts cut into cubes.

Note about sunflower seed butter:  I use Sunbutter Organic - the organic appears to be as corn safe as possible and works for me.  It's also made in a peanut and nut free facility.  If you're allergic to soy, it is made on equipment that processes soy.